Travelling with horses

Travelling with horses for whatever reason, whether it’s out of necessity for a vet. or a hospital visit, or for pleasure such as competition or holiday, can for some be very challenging. The most important thing is that your precious cargo arrives in the same shape and condition as he or she had when you left the stable, so ensure yourself with some adequate protection for your horse.

 

How do you protect your horse then?

The following information gives you the basics of what your horse needs to wear to keep him or her protected from legs to tail.

Legs

There are several types of transportation boots out there to buy. There are high boots which reaches over the knees, shorter ones that ends right under the knees, bandages and the list goes on. Not all horses, particularly not young ones, can tolerate the high boots – yet, still very much need the good protection for the ride. It’s here where the shorter boots come into the picture as an excellent option for the higher ones. Those horses who have an issue with transportation boots tend, in many cases, accept the lower ones a bit more, as their mobility is less interfered.

The Sahara Multi-Functional Boots is a great choice while looking for a pair of short transportation boots, as they not only protect the sensitive tendons, but also dries the legs if the horse is wet after e.g., a practice or a wash. If the horse has a slight propensity to tread on its own hooves, it might be worth putting on a pair of overreach boots for that extra protection. This may also help keep him or hers shoes on.

Body

A blanket or a lighter rug can be worth investing some money in if you’re planning to travel with your horse for longer periods. Horses that really fill out the space in the trailer/truck or horses who don’t think it’s especially fun to stand in there has a tendency to lean and press onto the walls and poles. With continuous friction and pressure, the horse’s fur can be damaged and furthermore dull-looking, and we don’t want that to happen. A smart solution to this is to look into the range of cooler rugs that’s available.

Tail

As said before, not all horses enjoy the fact of walking into a trailer or truck and then stand there still until we’ve arrived at our final destination. Those horses which are pressing up against the pole or walls actually risk harming the tail as well. The bony section at the top of the tail is particularly vulnerable, so if you have a horse that is a bit restless or moody in the trailer it might be worth looking for a tail bag. We have our own Wrapido, which is not only a bag that eases the everyday life by securing a dry, clean and tangle-free tail, but it also protects it. Fasten it tightly by the root, put the tail in, twist and close with the velcro. Easy-peasy!